Is to inspire and encourage others to live peaceful, kind and happy lives by offering them ideas and tools to help them become the change they wish to see in their community, world and future.

We are a very small community volunteer group passionate about promoting the ethos of the World Peace Flame within our community and beyond.

We are dedicated to engaging with all our schools with peace projects and promotion of peaceful conflict resolution as we truly believe our young peacemakers of the future can be the change we wish to see and make a huge difference for peace.

The Garforth World Peace Flame was created on 28th April 2017 and is housed within the Diamond Jubilee Garden, Aberford Road, Garforth. It is the only World Peace Flame monument where you can take a small candle lit from the flame to use and pass on.

The energy of the World Peace Flame is retained within the wick of each candle/lamp. Once re-lit it can be passed on to create further World Peace Flames. On the left below are small World Peace Flame tea light candles pre-lit from the World Peace Flame. On the right below the lighting of the Garforth World Peace Flame by our community representatives.

In July 1999, 7 flames of peace were lit on the continents of the world and flown to the UK to be united into one and become the World Peace Flame. It is a universal symbol for global peace and unity.

In April 2002 the first World Peace Flame Monument in the world was installed outside the Peace Palace, The Hague in The Netherlands, home of the International Court of Justice. There are now many World Peace Flame Monuments around the world. In 2003 the first UK monument was created in the Snowdonia National Park, North Wales (pictured below).

All our schools were involved and children painted a peace stone with a flag to represent every country of the world. They also researched interesting and fun facts about each country and created a fact sheet. The peace stones are now set in an 8 stage trail starting at Garforth Academy, ending at the Garforth World Peace Flame Monument.

On the 31st July 2021, the Garforth Schools World Peace Trail was officially opened to the public by our 3 dedicated Local Councillors, and walked by our community. It is dedicated to HRH Prince Phillip, Duke of Edinburgh.

Shortly after the Garforth World Peace Flame was installed a beautiful wooden box (a kindness box) was placed near it by a young girl. She had placed small gifts inside together with a note asking people to take and if possible leave a small gift for others. Two further kindness boxes were added by other children and we now have a larger combined Kindness Box to accommodate the constant exchange of gifts. This is regularly used by our children and the community.

On the 18th November 2022 some of the children who created the Garforth Schools’ World Peace Flag presented it to the Lord Mayor and Lady Mayoress of Leeds (see picture).

Peace Cake Bake off 2023…The !st Peace Cake Bake off was a wonderful success. After the competition the cakes were sold and raised £120 for charities chosen by the winners.

What an incredibly high standard of cakes, buns and cookies again. Our 3 judges had a very difficult task choosing a winner and two runners up. After the competition the cakes were sold and raised £104 for the three charities chosen by our winners. These were The Alzheimers Society, R.S.P.C.A. and Garforth Peace Project, thank you so much. It was a lovely fun morning enjoyed by everyone Thank you to everyone who made cakes and came along to buy them.

Over the years we have been involved in many projects and events around Leeds and Yorkshire and continue to be so. We have gifted over 70,000 World Peace Flame tea lights to members of the public, that’s a lot of peace!

We are part of Concord Leeds Interfaith Fellowship, where we have been involved with the Annual Interfaith Peace Service for over 15 years. At the service a candle is lit by representatives of every faith in the city, from the World Peace Flame and for all the people of Leeds by the current Lord Mayor.

The World Peace Flame is present at the annual Holocaust Memorial Day.

We are part of Leeds City Council Peacelink group, including Mayors for Peace and the annual Hiroshima and Nagasaki Memorial Service. 

The World Peace Flame has been on public display in various prominent locations, including York Minster, Leeds Museum, Royal Armouries, (Leeds and The Tower of London), Leeds Discovery Centre and Leeds Metropolitan University (now Leeds Beckett University).

On the 2nd June 2022 the Platinum Jubilee Beacon in Millennium Square, was lit by the Lord Mayor of Leeds from the World Peace Flame, to honour H.M. The Queen in her Platinum Jubilee Year. It was the only beacon in the Commonwealth to become a World Peace Flame. A very fitting tribute to our now, sadly late, beautiful Queen and her devoted, unwavering life of service to love, peace, unity and kindness for all.

In 2012 the Wakefied Beacon for H.M. The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Celebrations was lit by the Queen’s representative for West Yorkshire along with Cynthia Dickenson from Concord Leeds Interfaith Fellowship.

Children’s lives happen one conversation at a time and in ‘The Comms Hub’ my mission is to help children learn how to be clear and confident communicators so they can thrive in every single one of them.